460 S W or 454

I am planning Africa next year. Would you buy a Straight 454
or 460 S&W.

Platform for either?

I've got the 460 on a TC Encore Pro Hunter with a custom barrel from MGM. I had the XVR Performance Center revolver, but like the Encore platform in this chambering MUCH better. I'm throwing 300 grain XTP MAG's at 1948fps with better than MOA accuracy out of this gun. It is my go to gun for anything out to 200+ yards. Haven't taken any game at that distance yet, but certainly won't hesitate to do it when the chance comes. I am looking at Africa next year as well, and this gun will be going with me without any hesitation.

454 will get it done as well. I've not owned any guns specific for this chambering, but those that do speak very highly of them.

The 460 and the 454 both shoot bullets that are .452" diameter, so I don't think you can go wrong either way. If you do go with the 460, don't shoot the "scam" bullets (200 grains). Use a heavier bullet, and get the full potential out of the gun!

For shear packability, my choice would be the .454 as it fits in a "normal-sized" revolver. Unless you planning on really long shots, the .460 IMHO offers nothing over the .454. You can lean on the .454 pretty hard if you need to. Again, just my humble opinion.

What will be on the menu?

Going by numbers alone, both cartridges are pretty similar in power, and with proper shot placement your quarry will go down just as quickly regardless of which one you choose. I think it would come down to what size gun you'd want to pack around with you, or whether you want to use a revolver or Encore. I have a S&W Model 460 XVR, so I can tell you for a fact it's quite the hefty handgun to carry around.

Larry Kelly took elephants with his 44mag so either should be more than enough.

Thanks I'll deal with the weight
The 460 I can shoot 45 colt , 454 , Casull and 460 S&W
I did a little rescerch. Maybe I'll try to find a performace center with sling swivels.

While it's entirely possible and safe to do so, I highly recommend against shooting the shorter rounds. Because of the difference in length between the cases, the bullet has to travel quite a distance unsupported before it hits the forcing cone. As a result, accuracy suffers greatly.

Talk with Trademark, a member of the site, about what the S&W 460 revolver can do in Africa....send him a PM....go to the member article section and read this one:"Buffalo and Lion From Kruger To The Kalahari"
PS- I recently used my standard 8 3/8" S&W 460 XVR shooting factory 300gr JFP ammo and was impressed when I read the listed ME as a little over 2000... If there is any place in the world where a handgunner needs this power its Africa.... Good luck and God bless.....

Iv"e never been to Africa, two thoughts, the 460 gets gets short changed because people use the wrong bullet, I base this on the 200 gr. FTX bullet, this bullet is good, this is my opinion, for deer, and nothing bigger than midsize game, for deer, it"s a great bullet, for bigger game, you got to go to the 300 gr XTP MAG, the 454 was designed for African game, the 454 can shank the biggest game out there, so can the 460, you just have to use the right bullet.

I agree bullets are the thing , Use the right bullet for the job
and put it in the right place. I have been to Africa Twice this is the first time with a pistol. the animals are tough over there
I am also building a 300saum XP-100 .

If a revolver is your choice...........I'd go Casull. NOT fond of X-Frames.

If a single shot is your bag...........I'd go .460 S&W.



That's my preference. Not that it counts for more than internet space.

I agree with Zee, but only because I think the 460 needs a single shot platform to really utilize its full potential. The revolver just doesn't do it justice, in my opinion.

I'd be first in line if they made a 460 S&W lever gun.

The chronograph don"t lie, My X frame with a 12" barrel compared to my 460 15" MGM barrel, with the same load the difference in velocity between the two is 700 fps

Dang. I never would have expected that much of difference.

Yeah, its a big difference for sure. And for me, the Encore is MUCH more accurate. Can't tell ya what the numbers where when I had the revolver as I didn't have a chrony back then. But I'm pushing 1948fps now, and its a tack driver at 100 yards.

Anyone looking for a 460, I STRONGLY recommend the Encore platform.

Did you ever get a Bellm spring, incidentally?

What he said.

Nope. Still don't have the Bellm spring kit yet. Been working on the 500JRH, so the 460 kinda took a back seat for now. I'm going to have a few things done on the 460 I think, and a higher power scope might be one of them. I think, with a more powerful scope, I just might be able to do 250+ yards with the 460, and keep it sub MOA. Don't know that I'd take a shot on big game at that distance, but who knows. I'd like to see what that gun can really do, or rather, what I can really do with that gun. I have no doubt it will outshoot my abilities.

I understand your arguments but, this has been done with success in every pistol caliber available to use more than one size ammo. Just because poster is going to Africa, doesn't mean he travel without cleaning equipment?
Steve

Not sure what cleaning equipment has to do with an unsupported bullet.

It probably isn't as much a problem with the 1/10" gap that other cartridges may have to travel, but when a bullet has to travel over half an inch unsupported in a 460 cylinder, it doesn't help accuracy. Can it be done? Sure! Can you make shorter rounds work? Maybe. Will the 460 rounds be more accurate? Absolutely.





X2. Sorry Steve, but I don't know where you got that I was talking about cleaning the cylinder, which is a different issue altogether.

You'll never get the same accuracy shooting 45 Colt out of a 460 Smith and Wesson as you would shooting 45 Colt out of a 45 Colt.

Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. I've seen it and done it myself. I'm anal about accuracy, so 45 Colt through a 460 isn't even an option for me anymore.

not that im in the market for ether. i would go with the 460 just because i have a thing for gain twist and i seem to recall that s&w used a gain twist on the 460.

They did. If you open the cylinder and look down the barrel, you can clearly see how the rifling twist starts almost straight, then increases rapidly towards the muzzle.

Yeah I heard about that when I bought my first revolver years ago. Just had to look to see if I could "see" the gain twist. It really is odd.

i have the XVR with the 10.5" barrel and a Leopold scope. I thought i would use to hunt with but, alas, it hasn't seen any action. Would be a great one to try on the dark continent. i might part with it if someone would point me to the best place.